F: Back to Normal
Fandom: Firefly
Pairing: None
Warnings: None
Rating: G
Summary: He's lost three days. For fic_on_demand.
Mal lies very still, his eyes still closed. He can hear Simon moving around the infirmary, and Jayne's harsh breathing somewhere across to his left. He doesn't remember collapsing, but he knows he must have done.
"I know you're awake," Simon says, softly, crossing the room again to come to his side. He puts a cool hand on Mal's forehead, stroking back his hair with a tenderness he'd never dare to show at any other time. Mal keeps his eyes closed.
"How's everyone?"
"It's just you and Jayne, still. The others are forbidden to come and visit you, in case they catch it. This is the first time you've been lucid in... three days."
Mal squeezes his eyes tighter shut. So much lost time. "And how about you?"
"If I haven't caught it by now, I'm unlikely to. I'm keeping away from the others too." Simon takes a deep breath and takes Mal's wrist in his hand, obviously counting the beats of his heart. "I think you'll be better soon. How do you feel?"
"How do you think?" he says -- not quite as biting as he'd like to be. Simon actually laughs.
"You'll be back to your usual self in no time," he predicts. "You're making an excellent start."
Pairing: None
Warnings: None
Rating: G
Summary: He's lost three days. For fic_on_demand.
Mal lies very still, his eyes still closed. He can hear Simon moving around the infirmary, and Jayne's harsh breathing somewhere across to his left. He doesn't remember collapsing, but he knows he must have done.
"I know you're awake," Simon says, softly, crossing the room again to come to his side. He puts a cool hand on Mal's forehead, stroking back his hair with a tenderness he'd never dare to show at any other time. Mal keeps his eyes closed.
"How's everyone?"
"It's just you and Jayne, still. The others are forbidden to come and visit you, in case they catch it. This is the first time you've been lucid in... three days."
Mal squeezes his eyes tighter shut. So much lost time. "And how about you?"
"If I haven't caught it by now, I'm unlikely to. I'm keeping away from the others too." Simon takes a deep breath and takes Mal's wrist in his hand, obviously counting the beats of his heart. "I think you'll be better soon. How do you feel?"
"How do you think?" he says -- not quite as biting as he'd like to be. Simon actually laughs.
"You'll be back to your usual self in no time," he predicts. "You're making an excellent start."